Increasingly individuals are obtaining and using cell phones for security reasons. For instance, when a car breaks down or when an emergency occurs individuals often use their cell phones to make calls and report the incident to loved ones or to the authorities. Consider the notable Sep. 11, 2001 (“9/11”) plane crashes and hijackings, which resulted in passengers aboard one of the downed planes calling 911, other emergency numbers, and loved ones to report in real time what was occurring aboard the plane.
However, to use a mobile device in a crisis situation, the operator has to manually make a phone call, manually snap a picture, and/or take a video. If the situation is hostile then it will be obvious what the operator is doing or attempting to do; this can escalate the situation and may even put the operator in grave danger with his/her captors.
Furthermore, if the operator is unable to communicate where he/she is physically located, then finding the crisis location can be trying if not impossible. Assuming authorities were called and the call lasted long enough, the authorities may be able to triangulate the position of the cell phone using 3 or more cell towers in the vicinity of the operator. If authorities were not contacted or if authorities were not on the call long enough to triangulate the position, then locating the physical position of the crisis can be challenging guess work. All this uncertainty is likely occurring while a crisis situation unfolds and in a circumstance where “time is of the essence.”
Cell phones were made with personal communication in mind and were not made with the primary intent of providing personal security. Consequently, cell phones lack many security features. This is still largely the case even when the general public has turned to cell phone communications for security in many high-profile situations, such as 9/11 and others.
Thus, what are needed are improved techniques for achieving personal security via mobile devices.